Where Cold Chain Expertise Gaps Put Advanced Therapies at Risk

Anthony "TJ" Rizzo, chief commercial officer at Cold Chain Technologies, says the biggest risk his customers face as therapies grow more complex is not having a full, end-to-end view of the cold chain. Speaking with Pharmaceutical Commerce at LogiPharma USA 2026, where he joined the fireside chat "Building the Next Generation of Cold Chain Leaders," Rizzo, former chair of the ISTA Pharma Committee, points to cell and gene therapies and the more advanced biologics now in development as the forces driving that complexity.

"A lot of this is unintended consequences," Rizzo says.

He cites the type of packaging a company uses and how it is used in the chain, what its logistics provider can do during transit and what happens if a shipment is delayed. Not fully understanding the capabilities of packaging and logistics providers, or lacking visibility into the data, can lead to temperature excursions or potential product loss, he says.

When asked how the role of cold chain professionals is changing, Rizzo says the field is moving from visibility toward prediction and decision-making. In the past, "finding out where your shipment is was incredibly powerful," he says, but teams had little opportunity to intervene or make a different decision based on what was happening.

"Today that's changed," Rizzo says. Technologies from packaging suppliers, temperature monitoring companies and logistics providers can now allow teams to intervene during transit and potentially save a shipment that might once have suffered an excursion or been lost. In his view, "all of this is driving better patient outcomes, and hopefully reducing cost and increasing sustainability along the way."

Industry research suggests the shift also raises the bar for workforce skills. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 60% of supply chain digital adoption efforts will fail to deliver promised value because of insufficient investment in learning and development.¹ In the survey of 579 supply chain practitioners behind that prediction, 40% of leaders said hyperautomation was changing skills requirements.¹

Watch the first part of Rizzo's interview:

1. LogiPharma USA 2026: Where Cold Chain Expertise Gaps Become Product Risk

Reference

1. Gartner. "Gartner Predicts 60% of Supply Chain Digital Adoption Efforts Will Fail to Deliver Promised Value by 2028." Press release. May 7, 2025. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-05-07-gartner-predicts-60-percent-of-supply-chain-digital-adoption-efforts-will-fail-to-deliver-promised-value-by-2028